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Secretly filmed carer found guilty of abusing 87-year-old dementia patient

A carer has been found guilty of ill treating an elderly patient who suffered with dementia after being secretly filmed aiming blows towards him.

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Pauline Demaurie was caught on camera moving her arms towards 87-year-old Edward Bridge as he cried for help and moving her head close to his face, which the prosecution said was done in a threatening manner.

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She was also heard threatening to pinch Mr Bridge, who in addition to dementia suffered Paget's disease which meant he could feel pain at the slightest touch.

Though she admitted she may have slapped his arm, Demaurie claimed she had only being joking with the patient and had never abused him.

But the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court took just an hour and 23 minutes to find her guilty.

Demaurie, aged 40, of California Road, Tividale, wiped away tears after the verdict had been delivered.

She was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order.

It was unclear from the footage whether any of the blows connected with Mr Bridge. Judge Kristine Montgomery QC said she accepted Demaurie hadn't intended to strike Mr Bridge but that her actions in directing blows towards him were 'grossly unprofessional'.

The trial had heard she had only been working at Lyndon Hall Care Home in West Bromwich for a few months when the ill treatment took place. Mr Bridge had been staying there for four years when the ill treatment occurred during the early hours of September 18, 2014.

Passing sentence, Judge Kristine Montgomery QC said: "He was 87 years old, bed bound, confused and irrational at times. He was fearful of the motives of those around him. He needed to be treated with the utmost sensitivity.

"It was grossly unprofessional and insensitive to mirror his behaviour. What you did amounted to ill treatment. He might say he is going to punch you, he might lash out at you. By doing the same to him you attempted to force compliance from him by fear."

Co-accused Manjit Kaur, aged 34, of Arlington Road, West Bromwich was cleared of ill treatment.

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